Visitor In The Night
by Running For Anothers Dream
Summary: The shadows are dark and the star shine seems far too bright. The entire world is alive, alive, alive and ready to go hunting. It's prey was chosen long ago...but Trixie has always been good at running. And with just a little bit of help? Well, she might make it out alive.


A/N: Last year, I posted a snippet from this for my goodfriend Twi of TwiLane's Chrstmas gift. Here's the first chapter! I'm hoping that it doesn't seem too disjointed. My style of writing changed during the creation of this chapter. So...a shout out to Twi!

* * *

She shows up late one night, outside of the Golden Oak library. Her mane is tangled and her coat dull, clinging to a frame that is much too skinny. This mare doesn't look like Trixie, but she is.

Twilight Sparkle know that she is.

There's no mistaking those eyes, even if they are focused onto something far away, something that only she can see.

"Spike?" calls Twilight, softly. She doesn't move from the window, strangely unwilling to look away from the visitor-that-isn't.

Trixie hasn't knocked. She's just standing in front of the door, staring.

When there's no answer, Twilight calls for her little dragon again. She's louder this time. Loud enough that Spike has no choice but to grumble and surface from his bed.

He rubs at his eye and yawns. Doesn't walk all the way to the window but lingers in the doorway between bedroom and hall. "What time is it, Twi?"

"Late," answers Twilight. "It's late. I think...I think we have a problem."

-/-/-

"Trixie."

The mare doesn't answer.

"Trixie."

Silence.

"Trixie?"

The other unicorn starts. Trixie draws in a trembling breath and flinches backwards, ears vanishing within her knot of a mane.

"It's okay," squeaks Twilight, eyes wide. "It's okay!"

At her side, Spike makes a noise oddly close to a whimper. He smells darkness and illness and rot, heavy in the air. It's strong enough to almost cover Twilights magic, to completely hide Trixie's.

"Twilight?" asks Trixie, brow furrowing in confusion. She takes a small step forward, glancing about as if trying to figure out where she's at. "I - I need help."

"Don't," warns Spike.

Twilight frowns at him and guides Trixie inside.

-/-/-/-

In the flickering glow of the fire, Trixie looks even worse. Her legs are coated in old scratches, red and inflamed. Dirt has darkened her tail and desperation fills her gaze, as she wordlessly follows Twilight upstairs and into the bedroom.

"I need help," she repeats, once they get there. Trixie says the words without contempt or anger.

Twilight wonders what, exactly, has happened to send Trixie running straight to the ponies she hates. "We can talk in the morning, Trixie. You look like you need sleep."

-/-/-/-

Spike opts to sleep in the main room of the library rather than share the same room as Trixie. He's got a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a blank sheet of parchment before him, watching Twilight putter about the room with an expectant look in his eyes.

This isn't safe.

Spike can feel it, deep in his very being. The thought courses through him with each beat of his heart and with every breath.

There's something /in/ Trixie and it isn't safe.

"You need to write to the Princess about this," insists Spike, holding up his quill to show that he's all ready to write the letter.

Twilight nods and gives a distracted hum. "I know, I know. I'll do that as soon as I get back, Spike. Right now, I need to find my coat so I can go get Fluttershy. I think she's going to be of more help here than I am."

And, no, that's not right. Not safe. Please don't bring anyone else here, he wants to plead, please don't leave me alone with her. But Twilight is out the door before young Spike can say much of anything.

-/-/-/-

The darkness starts to bleed out from beneath the bedroom door only moments after Twilight Sparkle leaves. It's thick and thin, light and shadow. In it's wavering form, Spike hears both truth and lies, whispering to him, pleading with him, taunting him.

Begging him to open the door and let Them out. Let Them into the world.

Let Them devour.

He lingers in the stairwell, small hands clutching the banister. A low growl rumbles from his throat. "Go away!"

As if angered by his denial, the darkness starts moving faster. It spreads across the ground and blankets the walls, wisps of starshine giving it a strange and haunting light. It fills every corner and invades every crevice, screeching and screaming and silent, filled with anger and hatred, so much hatred, that Spike cannot breath

cannot move

cannot think.

-/-/-/-

Spike is sitting outside of the library when Twilight Sparkle comes back home, Fluttershy trotting along behind her. The pegasus mare has a first aid bag slung over her shoulder, eyes wide with worry and concern.

"Spike?" asks Fluttershy, pausing to look the young dragon over. He's drawn in on himself, clutching a scroll to his chest. There's ink splattered over his scales, staining him with darkness. "Are you okay?"

In answer, he shakes his head. "No. No, no, no! I'm not going back in there until she's gone, Twilight, and you shouldn't either. There's something not right about her. She's bad news!"

"Just because she's done wrong before doesn't mean she will this time," chides Twilight, flicking her ears in irritation. "We have to give her a chance, Spike."

-/-/-/-

"Hi, Trixie." Fluttershy smiles, soft and reassuring. She doesn't like the way that Trixie recoils or the dark look in the unicorn's eyes.

It reminds her of an animal, wild and injured. Not of the strong, impatient mare that she used to know. This is no Great and Powerful unicorn. This is a frightened filly, sick and lost, fighting a battle that no one else can see.

Trixie stares at her, silent. Her ears twitch but her gaze is unfocused.

"You poor thing. You're so skinny," breathes Fluttershy, as she sets her bag down. Her movements are slow and exaggerated, trying to clear any chance of catching the other mare off guard. It's easy, to slip into this practiced setting, to deal with her once-upon-an-enemy like she's a wounded animal.

The realization makes Fluttershy's stomach twist unpleasantly.

"Fluttershy," says Trixie, as if just now recognizing the mare. "I - no, no, that's not what I mean. Not what I mean at all."

The unicorn shakes her head, hard enough that it makes her dizzy. Trixie nearly falls over sideways, would fall over sideways, were it not for the fact that Twilight was suddenly at next to her.

"What do you mean, Trixie?" Fluttershy asks, opening up her bag and pulling out a clean cloth and a bottle of antiseptic. "I need to clean off your legs, okay? This is going to be cold, and it might hurt a little, but it really needs to be done."

Trixie narrows her eyes. When Fluttershy takes a step towards her (slow and steady), the unicorn shies away.

"Don't touch Trixie," she spits out, but there's a tremor to her words that sounds suspiciously like fear.

"Okay," says Fluttershy, backing up as fast as she can. "I won't touch you...but...can I look?"

Twilight presses her muzzle against Trixie's shoulder, reassuring without words. "It's okay," she promises. "Fluttershy would never hurt anything. You remember her, right?"

"Trixie never forgets a pony," snarls the unicorn, wrenching away from Twilight. She scrambles backwards on unsteady legs, eyes narrowed and unfocused. She isn't staring at Fluttershy but _through_ her, focused on a shadow that only she can see.

It smiles at her.

Trixie thinks that she might be sick.

-/-/-/-

"I can't help her if she won't let me close," says Fluttershy, voice soft and low. She keeps glancing over her shoulder in the direction of the living room, half expecting to see Trixie lurking in the shadows.

There's no one there.

No matter how often she looks, the doorway stays empty.

It's unsettling and Twilight nods. Bites at her lower lip and feels more lost than she has in a very long time. "I don't know what to do," she admits, in the same hushed tone as her pegasus friend. "I just - if she would just tell us what happened..."

But Trixie won't. Not then. Not ever.


End file.
